Thanks for stopping by and checking out the first, JR's blog of the new year. Big night tonight on RAW from Tampa with the road to WrestleMania seemingly getting a distinctive kickoff. Random Thoughts time....

With @TheRock returning to the live, Monday night RAW tonight, it kicks off WWE's 2013 TV year in a significant manner. Adding to the fact that the National Championship of College Football will be airing live as well, there will be a massive amount of TV households using television which bodes well for WWE's flagship broadcast. TV viewers are creature's of habit and channel surfing is the norm in today's world.

I'm taking advantage of picture in picture and watching Raw with its audio while having football on the secondary screen. I don't need audio to follow football and am anxious to see and hear Raw.

I see tonight's RAW as a great opportunity for ALL talents to make their presence felt. My 'maximizing one's minutes' theory was never more timely than it will be tonight for everyone who appears on RAW.

Raw getting off to a fast, compelling start seems imperative. First talents out of the gate will occupy some prime real estate. The first 30 minutes of RAW are going to be vital.

I've updated a ton of new, Q&A's here on our site and invite you to check out the new material.

Vividly remember broadcasting in Miami the first RAW of 2007 with @JohnCena vs. Kevin Federline aka K-Fed at the same time that OU played Boise State in one of the most exciting games of the year in the Fiesta Bowl. It was a challenging night for yours truly as I was being fed football scores during commercial breaks. That was the only #OU game that I missed all season but got to see the 4th quarter and OT in my room after being dropped off at the hotel by @JerryLawler. I hit the mini bar in my room hard that night as my #Sooners lost a nail biter. Wearing my OU gear home on the plane the next day provided for some interesting conversations with a variety of folks as if my black hat doesn't do on its own.

On this date in 2002, HHH returned to the WWE after a career threatening quadriceps injury. The return was at Madison Square Garden and the ovation that 'The Game' received still is a vivid memory and one of the loudest 'pops' that I can ever remember hearing in the 'World's Most Famous Arena.'

Hard to believe that some on Twitter @JRsBBQ seemingly have such ill conceived opinions that the Rock returning to WWE to gear up for a WrestleMania run is a negative to 'young talents.' I find this flimsy theory laughable. Rock is a major attraction that will attract disconnected/former viewers and many new viewers who are fans of Rock's movie work. The more eyes watching any WWE program the better. Rock also provides WWE an 'outside the usual envelope' media buzz which is invaluable.

Saw where Argentina Zuma passed away a few days ago. I met him in 1974 while working for Lee Roy McGuirk in the Oklahoma Territory and was amazed that a man so small, maybe 5'6", could have been a major headliner in MSG. Zuma was a former Olympic gymnast from Argentina and competed in the 1948 Olympics. He was a muscular, well conditioned athlete who could 'sell' with the best of them, but never 'die,' and could fly in an era where 'flying' was a highly unique skill set. What I remember most about the man was that he treated a rookie, me, in a gentlemanly, professional manner. I can still recall Zuma getting a 'hot tag' and lighting it up. Nice man..real pleasure to be around...RIP Argentina Zuma.

Disappointing trip to Dallas for the Cotton Bowl as Texas A&M schooled my Sooners. @JManziel2 is a freakish QB that OU had no answer whatsoever. Huge offseason, especially in recruiting, awaits Oklahoma. Changes in the talent level across the board is needed. Players win games and not systems or coaches. Great coaching certainly is money but a great coach with average or less players is hamstrung.

@AdrianPeterson has to be the NFL MVP but the quarterback loving voters will likely give the nod to Peyton Manning who I'd vote as the comeback player of the year. Yes, I'm biased. I hope that #Vikings get AD some help.

Great argument can be made for @DangRussellWilson wining the NFL Rookie of the Year but that distinction will likely go with @RG3. Haven't forgotten Andrew Luck either but Wilson still has his team in the playoff hunt while the other two went down Sunday. Seattle travels well and with a big, physical, fast defense will give #falcons all the 'Birds can handle in the Georgia Dome this weekend. Denver will likely blast the Ravens in Mile High as this is a bad matchup for an aging, tired defense.

Speaking of the Ravens, I'd love to see the great Ray Lewis have one WWE match ala Lawrence Taylor back in the day.

In the next month or two we are going to accelerate the developmental process of a couple of new JR's products specifically a JR's HOT Sauce and, hopefully, a Buffalo Wings Sauce.

Remember that fans in the UK and that entire region of the world can access JR's products via @Americansoda in Manchester and at some of their American Candy locations.

Getting loads of questions regarding the 20th Anniversary of RAW show in Houston next week. I can't make it any clearer but I don't know any creative plans and if I did why would I spoil them? One can get plenty of speculation from the internet wrestling community who appear to have better sources than do I. I just know that every attempt will be made to make that milestone event special and that includes follow up to what occurs tonight.

Excited to travel to Orlando this week for the @WWENXT tapings @FullSail which will be highlighted by an appearance by WWE HOFer @ShawnMichaels. I hope the NXT talents are ready to kick off 2013 in a big way. If one can't get motivated for this taping, those talents need to become civilians. Really anxious to see who comes to play Thursday night.

Thanks for dropping by and keep supporting my family's efforts with building JR's brand via http://www.wweshop.com.

If you are or know a retailer who might want to carry our products in a retail setting or have contacts with decision makers in the grocery world, please email Ed Clements at eclements@clementsfoods.com.

Comments

Submitted by bcmguy on Mon, 01/07/2013 - 3:19pm

JR, I'm always a fan but have to disagree on one thing in this blog. Seattle does not travel well. All 5 of their losses came on the road - including losing to teams like Miami, Arizona, and St. Louis. They were 3-5 on the road this regular season. Paul Cooper

Submitted by Buddy Hart on Mon, 01/07/2013 - 4:32pm

I agree that The Rock returning for WrestleMania season is a huge positive for the WWE but i think the point a lot of people are making is that he should not win the WWE title since there are a lot of guys there full time year round who deserve it more than The Rock does. And if CM Punk drops the title to him than what message is that sending to Punk? That he's getting shoved aside for a part timer who left for 8 years and who only competes in an actual match a few times a year and gets everything handed to him on a silver platter?

Anyway with the past two Raw shows dropping dangerously close to a 2.0 rating i think anything less than a 3.0 tonight has to be considered a failure given The Rocks return and the advertised Punk vs Ryback match for the WWE title. But as long as Raw stays 3 hours i gotta feeling the rating will continue to go closer to a 2 than a 3 once Mania season ends in April.

Submitted by Clifton on Mon, 01/07/2013 - 4:37pm

Look at the Rock being on TV as if it were the old territory days when Flair would show up to give the "top star" a title shot and a small rub. Dwayne doesn't have a belt but he does have a title........."Megastar". I don't like it, but have accepted it. Maybe Ryback will get a bite to eat ? Johnny Football is a very talented kid, but after his Cam like superman celebration I have cooled. If Russell Wilson doesn't win Rookie of the Year then the world is truly outta-wack. He is the last one standing in the Battle Royal !! Let's hope tonights RAW is better the National Championship.

Submitted by RazorbackRed on Mon, 01/07/2013 - 7:41pm

Funny....didn't see you on the sidelines during the Cotton Bowl (especially since you always love to elvate yourself overs others always talking about having side lines passes and being big buddies with "Big Game" Bob Stoops) guess the camera guy was too busy showing Johnny Football roll up over 500 yards of offense just by himself on "Chokelahoma".

I recall you really having sour grapes when OU got blasted by Tebow and company a few year back....really putting down Tebow (#MerrilHoge) so now that OU got embarrassed by yet another SEC team (not even the conference champ) I am curious how you are going to put down Johnny Football. I see you already threw the OK players under the bus calling for 'talent changes across the board'......bet you don't want to criticize the coach or the staff, otherwords those who are providing those sideline passes to you.....so I suppose you will just settle for blasting their recruiting practices since it is the coaching staff who went out and got the players you so conveniently want to get rid of now.

Regardless of the players, the coach, the staff.....OK can't win a big game when it matters, which is proven every year-time after time. Sure, they can put up 9 or 10 wins in a mid-level conference such as the Big 12, however in the SEC....they would be middle of the pack team at best-yes, up and down just like Arkansas or South Carolina.

I had to post this under your WWE section since you stopped undating your football section of this website some years back....like the Nature Boy use to say: Whether you like or you don't like it.....Learn to love it because the SEC is the best thing going today! Whhhhhooooooooooo!